1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is materials testing and image detection, specifically the automatic processing of images of structures such as nanofibers.
2. Background of the Invention
In various embodiments, the invention allows for automated image processing facilitates detection and verification of structures within an image.
In one embodiment, the invention is used in conjunction with images of nanofibers. Nanofiber containing materials have many applications, including in the medical, sports, engineering, and scientific fields. Such materials comprise fibers having diameters less than 100 nanometers. By comparison, a human hair has a diameter of 100 micrometers or 100,000 nanometers.
Given the precise nature of the materials and the manufacturing methods that result in nanofibers, it is important to test nanofibers for quality. A particular application may require very specific characteristics of the nanofiber assembly, such as distance between individual nanofibers and nanofiber diameter. A typical quality test method involves examining the nanofiber under a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Under current approaches, the microscope view is photographed and the sample is analyzed to confirm the diameters of the fibers, and that the fibers are arranged in the desired configuration.
A need exists in the art for a system and method of measuring objective features of a nanofiber material using automated, or semi-automated methods. A single quality control test typically involves hundreds of images, each image in turn containing from ten to several dozen individual fibers. Manual counting and measuring of the fibers is both costly and time-consuming. As described below, in one embodiment, the system includes analytical steps that detect features in the fibers, such as beads, curvatures, and differences in density.